David's Latest Blog Posts
- New Recovery Voices: Tim Leighton & Gary Rutherford (April 15, 2024)
- My Forthcoming UK Trip (April 11, 2024)
- My Journey: From Brain Chemicals to Human Connection (March 2, 2024)
- Ten Most Viewed Posts, 2023 (December 31, 2023)
- Reflections on, and Quotes from, Noreen Oliver MBE (RIP) (December 30, 2023)
- An Extraordinary Recovery Champion: Noreen Oliver RIP (December 20, 2023)
- My Apologies (December 20, 2023)
- Recovery Voices: Our First Two Weeks (October 9, 2023)
- The Recovery Walk in Hull 2023: Carl’s Story (October 2, 2023)
- Huseyin Djemil, Part 2 (September 26, 2023)
- Recovery Voices Launched Today (September 25, 2023)
- Apology and What’s Coming Next Month (August 13, 2023)
- Powerlessness: Wendy Dossett (August 1, 2023)
- Inspired by Natalie’s Story (July 31, 2023)
- Gifts of Knowledge That Recovering People Can Bestow: Bill White (July 29, 2023)
- An Exciting 24 Hours, Recovery-Wise (July 28, 2023)
- My Second Recovery Voices Interview With Wulf Livingston (July 27, 2023)
- My Second Interview With James Deakin of North Wales Recovery Communities (July 11, 2023)
Random Content Selection
Random Story
Kevan’s Recovery Story: ‘He’s a Loser and Will Never Be Any Good’
After 25 years of problem drinking and eight years in and out of psychiatric hospitals, Kevan runs NERAF which has nearly 100 staff and volunteers and provides a support service across the north-east of England (9,000 words).
Random Article
Factors That Facilitate Addiction Recovery
Recovery is something done by the person with the substance use problem, not by a treatment practitioner or anyone else. Whilst there are a multitude of pathways to recovery, there are a number of key factors that facilitate recovery from serious substance use problems. (9,586 words) *
Random Film
Positive Social Networks & Recovering From Addiction: Mark Gilman
Huseyin Djemil introduces “the hardest working civil servant”. Mark Gilman’s presentation talks about ‘Positive social networks & recovering from addiction’ in his typically engaging and witty style – delegates wanted the presentation emailed over to them the following day. ‘No one can do it for you and you can’t do it alone’, get on the […]
Random Resource
Stephanie Brown on Recovery
A series of my blog posts based on Stephanie Brown’s wonderful book, A Place Called Self: Women, Sobriety, and Radical Transformation. In her book, Stephanie talks about what happens to women in recovery, how they think, how they feel, their problems, the good things, etc. (The book is relevant to men as well!)
Random Healing
Addiction and Psychological Pain
During the many years I spent working in the addiction and mental health field, first as a neuroscientist and later helping empower people to facilitate their recovery (healing), I rarely heard the word ‘trauma’ being used. Few practitioners I met mentioned that the person with the substance use problem might be self-medicating to ameliorate psychological […]















